Village Council - Regular Meeting

I'd like to bring this meeting to order. If we could bow our heads for a moment of silence. Would everyone please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic

all call council member birch council member council member valenski will be with us shortly vice mayor cantor president mayor charles here at this point in the meeting we'd like to open up the floor to general public comments if there are any please state your name and address you have three minutes

Seeing as there are none.

Next item is 5A, a resolution of the Village Council of Miami Shores Village, Florida, adopting the tentative millage rate of 7.8000 mills for fiscal year 2026-2027. The calculated rollback rate is 7.3492 mills. or six point thirteen percent higher than the rollback rate for the fiscal year 2026 2027 establishing the debt service millage rate at zero point one two four four Mills reaffirming the second but public budget to set the final millage rate on September 22nd 2026 at 6 p.m. and providing for an effective date whereas on July 21st 2026 Miami Shores Village Council following a duly noticed public meeting in adopted Resolution 2026-28, which set the proposed millage rate of 7.8 mils, a rollback rate of 7.3492 mils, and the proposed debt service rate of 0.1244 mils. And whereas Section 200.065 Florida statutes require that the village, at the conclusion of the first public hearing on the village's proposed tax rate, adopt a tentative ad valorem millage rate for fiscal year 2026-2027, operating purposes and required debt service millage rate which includes a rollback rate and whereas the village administration is proposing the adoption of a tentative millage rate of seven point eight zero zero zero mills which is six point thirteen percent greater than the calculated rollback rate of seven point three four nine two mills and a tentative debt service millage rate of zero point one two four four mills and whereas the tax The gross taxable value for operating purposes not exempt from taxation within Miami-Dade County has been certified by the county property appraiser to the village as $2,300,485,688. And whereas the second and final public budget hearing to adopt the final millage rate will be on September 22, 2026 at 6 PM. Mr. Chair, this is a public hearing. on the tentative millage rate only.

I'd like to open up the floor to item specific public comment for the resolution 5A.

Is this general public comment on the budget?

this item specific for Friday to the tentative millage rate okay all right I will wait thank you he already did general public come on the budget correct so there's a tentative millage and then there's then we open it for the budget okay any discussion on this item

My lack of understanding, I guess, but my concern is that in the coming year, if successful, we are going to be borrowing quite a bit of money, hopefully for our community center and also perhaps for our golf course. We're establishing a millage rate here to pay for the existing debt that the village has, but we know that in the coming year that's going to be higher. I'd be interested, Shanae, in whether or not if that creates any problems in that we're voting now that that's what the millage rate for debt is going to be.

So you can only vote on what is current as of today, right? So we can't really take into account what if. If that does take place later on, then adjustments will be made for future budgeting. But as of right now, there's nothing you can do to allocate for something that we quite frankly don't know if it'll even be approved by the voters. So you'd have to just vote for what it is as it stands today.

Mr. Mayor, anybody else, any discussion on this topic?

I don't have anything to add at this moment.

Seeing as there's no further discussion. Move to accept.

Second.

We'll be voting by roll call.

Council Member Walensky?

Yes.

Council Member Devaney?

Yes.

Council Member Birch?

Yes.

Vice Mayor Cantor?

Yes. Mayor Charles? I couldn't hear you. Did you say call?

Mayor Charles, can you hear me?

Now I can hear you. Thank you. Yes, I'm voting yes.

Motion passes. Item 5B, a resolution of the Village Council of Miami Shores Village, Florida adopting the tentative operating and capital outlay budget for the fiscal year commencing October 1st, 2026 through September 30th, 2027 pursuant to section 200.065 Florida statutes authorizing expenditures consistent therewith and authorizing certain budget amendments within a department provided that the total of the appropriations is not changed

providing for an effective date this item is brought forth by the finance director through the village manager all right since this is a public hearing like to open up the floor to public comment for 5b

Hi. My name is Alice Birch. I live at 1440 Northeast 101 Street. And my comment on the budget is that it is in a different format than I'm used to seeing. And so I'm appreciative of your effort in that regard. However, I would like to speak in advocacy of a couple of things. And since you don't have the detail, I wanted to be sure to go on record at this point and say that I think it's really important to advocate for public Community activities and I know that the chief did a really good job. I'm actually with some funds that were grant funds on a community bike ride and The the idea, you know when we had The whole beautiful public look toward what our community center and our Recreation facilities can look like in the future one of the things that stuck with me is this and This is something that I hear everyone getting excited about it's kind of like talking about the library everyone is excited about having a path a pedestrian path a cycling path something that is for our residents to enjoy and something that would eventually link a with such paths going north and south. I hear a lot of this going on at the county level now. I've been involved with a group that is now very pleased to have gotten our county mayor, Daniela Levine-Cava, on board for the Ludlam Trail. And I see things like this continually accepted by the public. I hear about it. I'd love to be able to continue something as relevant rather small, and maybe one or two or a few times, that we have this ability to get together, whether we're cycling or walking together. And the other thing that I'm hearing, too, and I think is important, and I'm speaking as a person in the older set, as my mother used to call it, that we continue to offer those programs for people who are seniors for the things that they're asking for. And I know that Parks and Rec has done a good job with a lot of that in reintroducing a lot of the things that we've talked about. However, I still hear, can't we have you know, more like a senior center set of activities, and I'd really like to speak to that as being important. After experiencing sitting in one of your seats in 2017 and having the public say, Especially the ones that are really the most likely to vote say I really don't see that many programs at the community center for me I would like to see us continue that and so thank you very much for your time and your energy and effort on this Any other public comment

Seeing as there's none, is there discussion?

Well, this is always a double-edged sword. I thought there was good explanation in this particular budget as far as what each department did, but unfortunately I've been asked and was asked in fact today Is the 25,000 that we give away as a charitable contribution in the budget and the answer is I don't know and you all don't either because all that was given to us was a figure for what the proposed budget is for the council and so I think Esmond has and And his whole staff has made a real effort every year to try and improve That so that we had a clearer understanding of where taxpayer dollars were going But I'm not sure Unfortunately, if maybe we haven't gone too far because the resident that asked me that I couldn't answer them Until after today's meeting and of course, that's true of the budget in each department And so I would just put out there that, as my wife just mentioned, what's in there for bike rides? You all don't know, because I don't either. It's not there. And this is the first time, at least in the three years I've been here, that we've had that type of budget. So it's something to think about. And it's not that they haven't devoted a tremendous amount of time, energy, and work trying to make it clear. And it's not that that's not appreciated. But I am concerned that at least the five of us can't answer those type of questions for this coming year.

I believe it's on page nine of the expenses under council and mayor I think Are we Is the way that we are handling the finances of these charitable donations the same as last year? Because the council made some changes to our system of how we were doing this. I guess what I'm asking is, are we in our final form here of how this is going to look on our budget going forward?

through the chair if you feel my just let me just take an opportunity to tell you a category categorically yes the 25,000 is in the budget and it's in the it's it's as as you as you said it shows up in the budgets I don't know but that's not that's not that's neither here nor there that the thing is please remember that as the as the year involves there's all there's gonna be occasions to add things to this budget we have a hefty contingency and a contingency is not used by the manager on this that manager comes to the council to ask to use a contingency however if this group for example decides that they want to have a bonfire that's I'm sorry that's the first thing that came to my mind a bonfire at the community center for everyone all this this day has to do is say to the manager we want a bonfire there and we'll just pull it from contingency we have a very hefty contingency it's over a million dollars and we're able to to to pull things on that asset as a year involves I mean we can't be remember we are proposing something but there are going to be times and their programs that will come out of nowhere it has to be done and all the mayor comes that has to do is to say to the manager I want this done and it will be done we moved from and it's not a matter of a moving from anything but we think it's um for transparency we have to have that what we call that very hefty binder which is a budget it has not gone anywhere it was presented when we first had our workshop and it still exists this is just a format that condenses it and if memory serves me well memory serves me well when we had introduced this smaller version which most municipalities are using know that this was a preferred way of doing it but two two things exist that that big binder that comes member Birch has it exists and then there's a smaller version and you've both been furnished with both yes exactly Was there another question that I didn't answer? I think that was it.

I don't think so, but this is something I actually wanted to bring up. I was thinking about on the way over here, lugging around my stack of binders. We have two versions. We have the more condensed, and then there's, if you want to get into the fine details, I found myself going back and forth. I think if you want to read the budget, it's good to just do the condensed version, and if something is interesting to you, you can go to that section in the phone book and really make yourself as nuts as you want to. So I would hope that... I think... Let me just speak for myself. I can take it for granted that I have access to all this stuff because you guys deliver me these binders, you know, and boom. It's easy for me. I hope everybody has access. This should be easily accessible on the internet. Both versions, I'm hoping. And I would also, you know, to all the accounting nerds out there, I know we have plenty in the village and we would love it if you guys want to look into this stuff too. We also have this annual comprehensive financial report which is another great resource too I highly recommend if you want to like see what this stuff looks like in the rear view mirror you know going back so yeah I just want to make sure that we have all this stuff easily accessible and encourage everybody to go and look into it and if you have any questions please reach out it is a little intimidating especially if you go to the the detailed one but don't be scared of it you know if you have questions just ask

If I may do an add-on to this, and Council Member Burch was correct when he spoke of the work by staff to get this more condensed version. Most municipalities have a system. They have software that condenses it, your larger thing, down. I must at this point in time, just since we are on to this, thank staff. Because what they did is that they took the details and placed it in an Excel file. so that they could produce what we have today. So they didn't have the luxury of having that software that condenses it. So that's blood, sweat, no blood, it was just sweat. I'd also I think I'm on to my my slide here but I also want to say that we have continually worked on our Commission on the aged and we if that's the correct name for it that's what it is in terms of our offerings for folks in my age group beyond for the different kind of programs that we have out there and we've been doing a good job with that yes there's stuff don't at the community center but I remember having a conversation with Michelle last year where we were also privy to the kind of offerings for the elderly within our community for the different programs that we have so we have them at the community center we have it here and if there's ever a time where we feel like there should be more and they'll be added things because sometimes these are very organic they'll just come up and then all of a sudden we have a program and we're gonna put it out there so that these things can happen it's evolving and I want to thank the speaker specifically, Alice Birch, for her comments on that and her question.

I apologize then. I didn't go to the phone book, which I should have, and if anyone else asks me a question, I'll refer them to Jesse.

Okay. We have a quick presentation of... of this at I think it's about a four or five page so if I could just go through this the budget here on Can we just go manual?

Okay.

Okay, we just want to do a real quick, just hit some of the highlights of this budget, which actually is a very shortened version, where we looked at the changes by fund. We're 26 over 27, and if we look at this just real quickly, we see that the budget has gone up by approximately $9.2 million. that really as is a as a result of primarily I mean this shows the changes from one fund to the next that the general fund went up by one point four zero eight of course we have over a million dollars in property taxes that we had gotten there that increased it we've got other fees in the general fund the local option gas tax went down by a hundred and fifty eight thousand the the citizens that the five the half a penny sales sales tax went down also In the fund and we're talking about how we've used the phone one year over the next the the debt service for the charter school Went down the of course gets another year capital projects went up by three hundred and fifty four thousand six hundred and The stormwater went down by $4.73. Our solid waste fund, despite the increase in solid waste fees of approximately 10%, it further went down by another $27,000. Our wastewater went up by $877,832. But, of course, we had discussed this because we had said per the resolution that we – that was done a few years ago that we had over a million dollars at the set aside specifically for any future wastewater project and so we we pulled 750,000 from that every speak a little bit more on that as we go as we go forward the Gulf and Country Club eight point five million dollars is what's been proposed for that fund so you can see there was zero and 25 rather in in fiscal year 26 but it has increased to eight point five million dollars the risk fund went down by 321,000 largely as a result of properties that were reassessed and we came in lower with those assessment the IT fund went down by 358,000 and that was large as a result of what we have done in terms of some programming and things that we could buy in this fiscal year to the next and also some renegotiation of fees and subscriptions our fleet went up by 231,000 well almost 232 and what's in this this fund is really the purchases of some new police vehicles I think six to be exact or something like that six and that send that phone up 31 but if we go I just want to look a little bit the next bit the next page please at the fiscal year 27 highlights the increase in ad valorem taxes one point of one million dollars then the health insurance increase went to twenty nine point one when we have the budget workshop we had spoken about that we were really really having some issues here with With health insurance, we had budgeted at that time 20%, even though we heard it could go as high as 34%. Well, we happened to get it down to 29.1%. Thank you, Robin, who I see in the corner there, who is our wholesaler who helps us out with such matters. Um, pension contribution went up by 88,000. Um, we have a cost of living adjustment in your 3.5 million dollars. The Gulf and Country Club. Okay, I stand corrected.

Cola of 3.5%.

Mr. Burson, did you hear that? Anyway, um, The Gulf and Country Club, we think of it this way, that there was a revenue loss one year over the next of approximately $386,000. We think of it that way. there's a transfer to the general fund from the Gulf and country club fund for administrative fees previously when you saw this it was at four hundred and twenty five thousand we thought that because of its first year of operation that we should probably give this fund a fighting chance so to speak and even though from government standpoint you you are encouraged to make a transfer from the enterprise fund to the general fund we have opted after the the workshop we have not to do that and you can also do that as well and so we opted we opted not to and so you'll see that that allows for a larger a larger net revenue in the in the golf and country club We spoke a little bit about the seven hundred and twenty five thousand who were taken to go septic to soar and the reference to that Resolution was twenty twenty four dash forty When we also met we spoke about the country club tennis contract that went up to a hundred thousand The additional obligations as contract contracted with DCS doctors charter school has already done its It's its budget. Of course. We're coming at a later date where we've had conversations That this can still be achieved based upon the staggering of both fiscal years the increase in solidity is 10% stormwater fees of 2.7 and Incidentally, I must say that we need to revisit our stormwater fees because it's been a while since these were touched and you have your FPL increase of $2.2 million. 2.2%. Sorry, guys. I've got a fever. Fiscal year 27 highlights continued. We're going to be going into the completion of all ARPA projects. They have to be completed by December 31st. my weekly meetings one of the questions I asked Delroy and his staff constantly will we hit this mark because there are a lot of municipalities that are not hitting this mark or who have not use their opera dollars wisely and so they're in trouble in terms of giving back dollars to the government strangely enough from here to Flint Michigan I have a habit of watching the Flint Michigan council meeting don't ask me why but go see it for yourself and you'll understand the delivery of but even they have had issues a lot of municipalities have had issues with septic to soar No, not septic, I'm sorry. With our per dollars. The delivery of septic to sewer master plan is something that has to be done in fiscal year 27 because we're just so close. We need to wrap that up. So that's going to be a highlight in 27, as is the delivery of the stormwater master plan. The council has asked me to go ahead and have another strategic management plan done. so that will be done the fuel tank replacement phase one is is set for fiscal year 27 that is our for anyone who wants to know it's a fueling station that we have over at the public works yard where right now it is very close to being it needs to be replaced doctors charter school this is not a replacement it should say roof replacement that phase one is budgeted in this budget and we are going to be jumping on that rather quickly to get that get that done the library roof replacement is another the public works building the old motor pool the 40-year recertification repairs have to be done and they have to be done in this fiscal year completion of the Odell Manor perimeter perimeter wall we've got significant dollars relatively speaking I think about 300,000 I correct Delroy toward roadway improvements but pavement to repair and striping and we also have some in this current fiscal year's budget the southeast shore septic the sewer design will also be addressed in this common fiscal year We have the Northeast 94th Street and 10th Court design and construction for a stormwater project, and the Northeast 105th Street pump station drainage project. So there is a lot still happening in fiscal year 27. There's a closing out of things. There's introduction of new capital projects that need to be done, and of course, just things that need to be closed out. administrative fee transfer no we're gonna be looking at all the changes if you could go to the next page was that me or were they clicking it oh if I may have the next page please Yeah, after we had the last budget workshop, we made some changes. One of the things is that Vice Mayor Cantor had asked for dollars to be set aside for the Sustainability and Resiliency Board. We have set some dollars aside in contingency deliberately because when it needs to be done, we'd like to bring that to the council for that to be done. Well, in addition, the administrative fee transfer was removed from the general fund to golf and country club. This is a recap of some things I may have already said. The reduced transfer from the general fund to the CIP using available fund balance in the CIP fund. So let me explain that. What had happened is that once we shifted back the $425,000 over to the enterprise fund at the golf club, there was a need here. to finish some capital projects we've had fund balance in the in the in this year i'd be fun by that's all that comes about more often than not to you of expended dollars or you have set aside dollars of budget dollars for capital improvement projects some may come order what's budgeted and so after a while this year i'd be fun has a fund balance so we're able to take some dollars from that too to to positively influence the stuff that we needed to do the CIP fund in this fiscal year I'm sorry in the fiscal year coming up we negotiated and executed a tennis contract from 72,000 to 100,000 this was we had we had said it was just gonna be a 72,000 flat rate but then there were incentives built on it so I kind of rounded off the incentives that it would be nothing less than 28,000 and to make it that the minimum that would be accepted is a hundred thousand and that contract has been executed the general fund transfer the risk fund experienced a decrease in liability insurance we spoke about that we're talking about all these things that have been done since we last met of course we move from 20% in our insurance to up by nine point one one percent so it went to twenty nine point one one percent the general fund contingency increased from 750,000 to 1.12 million dollars increase reflects savings from the reduction in the transfer to the risk fund partially offset by additional costs associated with the general fund and that's primarily it so the net effect of that was 372 thousand nine hundred and fifty that was added to and that Mayor and council as well is that just the highlights of this budget that's been presented to you I Wanted to really really thank the the council for all of your questions all of their follow-up All of the meetings that we have had our village residents and businesses the Miami Shores village team and course just individuals who have spoken directly with me about the about the budget for all of their hard work dedication compute the continued support and their input of course with that I thank you and ask if there are comments

Any further comments or discussion from the council?

I'd like to just take the time again to thank staff for how much work has been put into this and also pointing out the condensed version compared to the line item version has been real helpful for me for doing this for three years. I understood also that we don't have software for that, so maybe in the future we look into a little bit faster way for staff to do this. But I think once it gets posted on the website for people to see with the charts that are there, trends, this budget is a little bit easier for a lay person to understand where the money moves. And the other thing, just to put out to the public, this is the first time in a long time that we're putting golf and country club on the budget. And that's why there is a big jump. If anybody ever asks, why did this go up so much? And it's also a good indicator for what we need to do in the future of what percentage golf and country club for revenue, top line revenue runs through our village. So I thank staff again for pointing this out to everybody and putting all the work that they've put into this particular budget for this year. Thank you.

Motion to adjourn.

Yeah, vote. Oh, we got a vote on this one? All right.

Sorry. Someone want to take that?

motion to approve the budget second councilmember Devaney it's a roll call vote councilmember Burch yes vice mayor Cantor yes councilmember Walensky yes mayor Charles yes before we adjourn

Yes, sir.

I'd just like to really thank the mayor and commission. Thank you for the vote. Thank you for your confidence in this. And I want to thank staff for their hard work and for just your continued dedication to Miami Shores Village. next year is going to be a could be a very challenging year if amendment 3 passes but we're up to the test because if there's one thing that we have said it in my in my in my budget message that I'll never ask you to dip into reserves and the other thing that we have to do as a community is to figure out how to creatively maintain our high standard of living and quality of life and with that said I also want to welcome what I want to ask again if there are any members if they're in a residence here who really want questions answered just come and see us because who knows we may be learning from you as well but we welcome and we ask that very much I mean we see the emails and We hear the comments as to how we spend money, but we'd just like an opportunity to sit with residents and whomever just to talk about this. We're all in this together. And with that, I say thank you very much again.

Motion to adjourn.

Second.